Return of the Air Benders
by S.B. Kathrine
Summary: Somtimes you must know the legands before you go and change them. Zuatara, but oh so much more flames as always, are welcome. they keep me warm
1. Chapter 1

Return of the Air Benders Return of the Air Benders

Chapter 1

Strangest Day

Aang decided that today was the strangest days of his life. It was way stranger than the day the Fire Lord died and named his heir, stranger than Sokka becoming an Earth Kingdom warrior, and even stranger than the nomads that he had met many years before.

The Fire Nation had called peace, which wasn't to strange if you consitered the new Fire Lord. The Water Tribes wouldn't be satisfied with the new peace treaty until the Fire Lord married their Feircest warrior. That part was a little strange.

Aang had been asked to come help keep the peace between the battling tribes until after the wedding had taken place. He had made comprimises between the two completely different traditions. The goal was to keep both traditions while not contriticting them.

Now that the day of the wedding had come, and the Fire and Water nations would be combined. Aang was exausted.

According to Water Traditions, the bride and groom knew who the other were, but by the Fire Traditions, they were not allowed to see each other once the engagment was set.

Often there would be fights about clothing, food or the actual cerimony. Aang had come up with crazy ideas for every fight. One could tell by simply looking at the groom's outfit that fights were made regularly.

He stood at the front of two rows of people. On the left side were seated Fire Nation roalty, and on the right, Water Tribe friends. One would find themselves lauging at his apparal. The Fire Nation armor and ponytail would have looked fine if it had not been in blue. His veil, that covered the top half of his face, was also icy blue, but was covered with red sequins.

Suddenly the sound of drums blazed passed the ears of the watchers. They all stood (the groom a little taller) as a traditional Fire Nation royal chair carried by four water tribe warriors appeared. A huge wall of flame sprang up from the left side of the clearing while large tendrils of water bent and froze together in the Water Tribe Symbol on the right.

The chair was set down and the curtians parted to reveal a vision in Water Tribe Red. The fur encased her body and fell nearly to the floor. As she walked, one couldn't help but want to laugh when her Fire Nation Sandles poked out. Instead of watching her feet, all eyes were on her red half veil, that shimmered with blue sequins, making her look like a maiden within a frozen fire.

She was escorted up the isle by the four warriors tha thad carried her chair. She stumbled slightly on the stairs, but caught herself.

She stood on the landing, and Aang took both their hands and led them to the other's veil. The slightly shaking hands lifted their betroth's veil.


	2. Chapter 2

Return of the Air Benders

Return of the Air Benders

Chapter Two

The Not-So-Perfect Wedding

People gasped when they saw the faces of the soon-to-be newlyweds. Not one person could belive that they would even think about getting married, let alone go through with it. The past yeat they had tried to kill each other multipule times.

This was all one big headache.

.

The Groom looked into his bride's eyes. Bright blue clashed with melted gold and mental explosions went off. He left her eyes and faced the skinny, rather ugly priest. He felt annoyance fill his body as the high pitched voice rang through the clearing.

Her hand was sweating in his, and when he sparred a glance at her, he noticed the hand she was carring the fire-flake flowers in was shaking badly. He tightened his hand around hers. She turned and smiled back at him in a way that made him want to smile back.

Both turned back to the priest.

.

She must have been drinking cactus juice for the past month. That was the only way she could explain to herself why she was up here, in front of everybody she knew and many more that she didn't, getting married to this insane maniac.

The priest went on and on about how the sun and the moon and how they were looking down and blessing the betrothed couple. She felt him smirk, and she had the urge to smak him. This may not be her dream wedding but it was still her's. he had no right to ruin it. She tightened her hand so tight that it would have made any other man cry out in pain.

He got the point.

"Children of the Moon and Sun, before we join you together in marrage, is there anything you might want to say to each other?" the priest's question pulled her out of her stupor. She once again looked into his wonderful eyes as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I-I'm sorry it has to be like this." She felt tears prick at her eyes at his words, but she only shook her head and turned back to the priest.

"With that being said," the priest announced, "I give every person here the chance to say 'no' to this union."

No one said anything, only a few older women cried.

"Then by the power of the Sun, the Moon, and the Avatar, I proclaim you husband and wife. Please seal this bargan with a kiss."

Once again she faced him, now as his wife. He put his hand on her cheek and softly kissed her lips .

The crowd stood and clapped. It was polite and cold, but the deed had been done. The union between fire and water was complete.


	3. Chapter 3

Return of the Air Benders Return of the Air Benders

Chapter 3

Married

He couldn't belive it. He was married. It might not have been to the girl of his dreams, but still…MARRIED!

Thigs like this didn't happen to men like him. He had greeted the guests with her by his side, as his bride. She shared smiles and hugs with her friends and hand shakes with her enemies.

He had silently wondered at her silent beauty all night. It had been two full moon cycles sense he had last seen her. She looked paler and more closed in now, but still beautiful. He watched her drink her artic plum juice silently.

When the orchestra started to warm up, he led her to the center of the clearing. As he took her into his arms for their first dance, he couldn't help but notice the way his heart was beating. She seemed as if she was made tor his arms.

They led eachother through their homeland traditional dances. He later stood to the side as her brother came for a dance with her. He had never seen her so happy.

.

She was exausted.

There was no other way to put it. She had gotten up early that morning only to go through torture. Than she had to get married to a man she only knew as an enemy. Than she had danced away the night with her new husband and brother.

She felt his eyes on her again. She looked at her husband (scary thoughts) and weakly smiled. She was slumped in a chair, her heavy furs weighing her down even more.

He smiled back at her and helped her onto her feet. She leaned on him slightly and they made their leave without telling a single person.

.

He was nervous.

He led her down multipule corridors and carried her up a flight of stairs. He had spent two moon cycles preparing this room for her. He hoped that she would like it.

And maybe learn to like him.

He opened a door on the left side of the hall, and led his wife inside. She lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked around. She gasped.

Inside was a large fountian. Surrounding it were furs of many different speices of artic animals. Her eyes widened and she knelt on the furs and plunged her hand into the fountain.

"It's warm!" she excaimed happily. Suddenly she turned to him. "Does it get warmer in the winter and colder in the summer?"

He couldn't help but smile. "It does now."

She laughed and laid down. She quietly said, "Thank you. You really didn't have to do all of this for me."

"Yes I did. How else would I keep you from killing me in our wedding bed?"

She didn't look sheepish, as one might think. Instead, she moved her head so she could look at him better. He knelt down and helped her to stand again.

After a few grunts and complaints, both were standing once again. He led her forward towards a door on the opposite wall. As he left, he called the flame from the torches that lined the walls.



She loved the fountian room, but it still seemed like she would be sleeping in a bed tonight.

She looked at the bed and decided that nothing had ever looked more comfortable in her life. She started to look around for her night cloths.

"Your brother was hoping that you would – chicken out – and not need your night cloths. He refused to give me any. I would have bought you some, but I don't really know what you sleep in."

the voice of her husband surprised her. She turned around and saw him leaning on the frame of the door.

She grumbled about brothers who spent their lives ruining yours.

"Well, I'll just have to sleep in my wraps tonight, now won't I?" She reached behind her to untie her obi. Only to find that her arms wouldn't reach. She sighed and hit her head on the wall.

Suddenly she felt a tug on the obi. She gasped silently and turned her head to he husband. His eyes consentraited on ondoing the bow.

When he was finished removing the obi he moved back. She turned around and looked at him for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

She put her hand on his face and said, "Thank you Zuko."

He looked deeply in her eyes and said, "You're welcome Katara."

Suddenly Aang woke up with a gasp.


End file.
